If Timber can recover from his groin problem in time, he still looks like the cleanest solution.
The difficulty is availability. Arteta has indicated there is still a chance, but he has not put a clear timeframe on the defender’s return. That uncertainty matters when PSG can attack with the pace and directness of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia down the left.
Arteta has used Rice at right-back before, and the manager has also made clear that judging players in unfamiliar roles over a small sample is not easy.
Rice would bring:
But moving him wide takes a major presence out of midfield. In a final, that trade-off could be expensive. Arsenal are usually at their best when Rice is driving the middle of the pitch, not covering the flank.
Cristhian Mosquera now appears the most straightforward stop-gap after stepping in at West Ham. He offers a specialist defensive profile, even if this would be a huge stage on which to grow into the role. Riccardo Calafiori is another possibility, though using a left-footer on the right would change the angles of Arsenal’s buildup and comes with fitness concerns of its own.
Arteta has built a side that can survive disruption, and other reports have noted how well Arsenal’s defence has coped through injuries already. Now comes the biggest test of that resilience. The next selection at right-back will not just shape the final league run-in - it could define how Arsenal approach their biggest night against PSG.